Japan's Energia Communications has signed a partnership and reseller agreement covering Nokia's G.fast technology.
Energia Communications plans to offer G.fast nationwide across Japan as part of an initiative to expand its utility service provider operations.
G.fast is designed to squeeze fiber-like speeds from copper cable over last-mile connections such as apartment buildings with no fiber wiring. Energia Communications will use G.fast to replace the use of traditional VDSL2 technology.
Energia Communications last year became Nokia's first G.fast customer in Japan and one of its first customers for the technology worldwide, according to Energia Communications CEO Satoshi Kumagai.
“We have been very happy with the service and have complete trust in Nokia's capability and strengths of its fixed access business, which is why we decided to take the relationship forward as a successful business partnership/reseller model,” he said.
Nokia's Bell Labs holds the current world speed record for a single copper pair, having demonstrated speeds of 10Gbps using its XG-FAST technology in 2014.
"This strategic partnership with EneCom will increase G.fast deployments in Japan, providing real benefits to subscribers who might otherwise be unable to enjoy ultra-broadband speeds. Japan is a very important market to us, and we look forward to a successful venture that will boost local economies,” Nokia Japan head Jae Won added.